Recipes
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Balsamic Date Glaze
This recipe was brought to you by Dr. Michael Greger from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM).
Dr. Michael Greger is an unstoppable force in nutrition science and education. His reach and his dedication to sharing important, lifesaving information is unparalleled. His website, ‘NutritionFacts.org’, has been endlessly helpful to me and countless others, and I have no idea how many times I’ve visited it to have my questions answered by his myriad science-based videos on a huge number of health topics.
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 35 g (11/4 oz/½ cup) fresh or frozen peas, steamed
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or spring onions (scallions)
- 30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) raw slivered almonds
- freshly ground black pepper
- Balsamic date glaze (see Note)
- 80 g (23/4 oz/½ cup) pitted dates
- 185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) warm water
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) balsamic vinegar
Instructions
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Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
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Step 2
Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and prick them a few times with a fork. Bake for about 1 hour, or until tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife. Transfer the potatoes to a chopping board and leave to cool slightly. Keep the oven on.
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Step 3
To make the glaze, combine the dates and warm water in a small bowl and set aside for about 10 minutes to soften. Transfer the dates and their soaking water to a blender, add the balsamic and blitz until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium–high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the glaze has thickened and reduced.
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Step 4
Cut each sweet potato in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh, leaving about ½ cm (¼ in) of flesh attached to the skin.
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Step 5
Combine the flesh, peas and chives in a bowl and mix well. Spoon the mixture back into the potato halves and return the stuffed potatoes to the oven. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until heated through.
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Step 6
To serve, sprinkle the potatoes with the almonds, drizzle over some balsamic date glaze and finish with a few grinds of black pepper.
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Step 7
Note: This glaze is delicious drizzled over your favourite roasted vegetables or grain dishes, as well as fruits, such as watermelon or strawberries.
